Disney Studios is reviving its 1986 sci-fi film Flight of the Navigator, but this time with a twist. Bryce Dallas Howard, the project’s producer/director for Disney+, will play the leading role in the revival. The original film starred Joey Cramer and Sarah Jessica Parker. Veronica Cartwright was also in it. It told the story of a boy who travels eight years into the future, from 1978, when he encounters a comical alien ship named Max (voiced primarily by Paul Reubens). They embark on an adventurous adventure together.
“I’m over the moon for the relaunch of #FlightOfTheNavigator (and all the space puns that’ll come with it),” Howard shared the news via Instagram with great joy. She also invited her followers to comment on their favorite moments from her original by asking them. Because she loves the galactic film, she joked that her dog shared three emojis.
The film made $18.6m domestically and was a huge success for the studio. Randal Keiser, the director behind GreaseandThe Blue Lagoon, helmed the original film. The script was written and directed by Phil Joanou, Michael Burton, and Phil Joanou. John Schwartz, Howard’s production partner, will produce the remake along with Justin Springer.
Howard has a good relationship with Disney having worked on several projects with them. She’s directed two episodes ofStar Wars: The Mandalorianfor Disney+ as well as two episodes of its upcoming spinoff,The Book of Boba Fett. Given her father’s famed director Ron Howard’s daughter, it’s not surprising that Jurassic World’s star is being praised for her directing abilities. Bryce has previously spoken out about her family connection to Hollywood and told the LA Times she finally felt comfortable with people telling the truth. “I was insecure about that when I was younger,” Bryce spoke out for the outlet. “When I went to NYU, I wouldn’t tell anyone my last name and I was like, ‘No, Dad, you can’t come to see my play because people might recognize you.'”
“For me to be weird about something that, honestly, really doesn’t have anything to do with me — I just realized, that’s just shortsighted,” She also added. “So many of my peers at NYU had parents who were really not supportive of them being artists in any way, shape or form, which totally made sense because they were scared for them.”